How to Identify Healthy Condiments
Man, oh man I used to be the condiment queen. I would love to dress my food up in every bit of flavor. Every meal had a different flavor and I enjoyed every bit of it. Flavor and condiments give a sense of creativity to what you are enjoying. It also allows you to not get bored with your food, and the flavors that you are missing out on, it allows you to re-create.
So, how do you know which ones are the right condiments, and which ones you should stay away from…
Reading Labels
Macronutrients
Just like all the food we consume, condiments as well have macronutrients. This is going to tell you if something is higher in sugar/carbs, or if it is higher in fats. Very rarely will a condiment have a high protein source. There are condiments out there that will have a protein content to them, it just won’t be the dominant macronutrient.
You want to be looking at lower content for each one. You want to make sure it isn’t over 10g of fat and 10g of carbs. Some dressings, especially for salads, can be so high in fat that it really doesn’t count as healthy. When you can limit the number of double digits you are intaking with condiments it is easier to consume better calories with nutrients through what you eat, versus how you dress your food up.
Ingredients
I used to never look at what was in the ingredients to me if it tasted good it was good. However, as my digestion started to change so did my philosophy on how to perceive different items, I was intaking. There would be some condiments, but I did not know how to pronounce over half of the ingredients. Or if I could and I did know what they were, they were filled with so many preservatives it was actually having a negative effect on my body.
When I would compete in bodybuilding shows, all my coaches, whom I’ve ever had experience with, always said to reduce condiments down to just mustard. Well, when I was young, barely learning, I never understood why they were so strict. Especially, when this condiment over here says there isn’t anything in it, it must be good for me. Well, I came to discover all the preservatives and ingredients that made it zero calories were actually causing inflammation in my body. That is a poor sign of your body rejecting the ingredients.
Read the ingredients, understand what is in your condiments, and keep an eye out for how your body responds to those ingredients. If you feel puffy, swollen, or have poor digestion, those are signs that your body is rejecting the ingredients. Switch to a cleaner condiment that will still make food fun.
Front of the Label
This is a tricky one… It can be a way of telling you what you should know, or it can be the biggest lie you’ll ever read in your whole life.
Ok, so if a label says fat-free or reduced fat… Most likely yes, it is low in fats, however, in order for it to taste good it has to compensate somewhere for what it is lacking. So, when the fats are low look at the carbs and see how high, or maybe not high, they are. Then look at the ingredients to see what is in it to make the content where it is.
Also, the same concept looks at the front of the label some labels now are stating organic, or natural “so-and-so”. However, is it really? This is where again you need to be conscious of the label. Reading the front of the label can tell you if it is something to investigate. But really the true evidence is in the back and what the nutrients are stating and the ingredients are reading.
You can make your food delicious and exciting with the right condiments. Understanding which ones are best for you is ideal for knowing what works for your body or not. Don’t be afraid to try something out. If you do not like it, or it isn’t working for your body… get a buddy and see if condiment swapping can work. Donating excess condiments you do not like/agree with is beneficial for soup kitchens, or homeless shelters. Remember always enjoy the process of discovering what works for you, it is the key to a long-term healthy relationship with food.